


I'll Be Waiting

by TheWitchingHour7



Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: Author Is Punny, Bittersweet, Claude is somewhat clueless, Ghost laundry service, M/M, Minor Ciel Phantomhive/Alois Trancy, Paranormal, Poor Sebastian, Regret, Resurrection, Sad Sebastian, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-04
Updated: 2017-10-12
Packaged: 2018-10-14 20:18:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 6,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10543734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheWitchingHour7/pseuds/TheWitchingHour7
Summary: Sebastian, a ghost, can't get over him and his lover's death centuries ago. But when a man with his own ghosts comes into play, Sebastian, out of curiosity and boredom, decides to assist him in what ever ways he can. But will he, whose feelings were pledged to another and buried long ago, give them away once again?ON HIATUS





	1. The Woods

Boredom was a common problem, but now it wasn't.

Usually, Sebastian would spend his days curled up among the bones, and stay there as the world went by, but this only served to make him sad, then he'd be annoyed for being sad.

One point in time, a house was being built, and he languidly watched the builders work, and if one of them looked warm, he'd send a small breeze of cold air their way. But the building stopped, and the workers left, and once again, he was left to cope with the gnawing in his stomach, that constant companion, boredom.

But his world was disturbed when the small boy found his beloved's resting place.

* * *

 

Claude was in a bad mood.

Moving into the house wasn't going very fast, and his little brother, Alois was growing restless.

"Claude...." he whined.

"Yes, Alois?"

"I'm bored. Can I go to the woods?" Alois waved his arm at the sprawling forest behind the new house.

"Don't get lost."

"Whatever!" As soon as Claude had said the first word, Alois was already running off. Claude had a feeling he would run into something, but that could be dealt with later.

* * *

 

Alois ran between the trees, and disturbed the resting creatures as he went. But suddenly he stopped.

"What's the point in running around like an idiot? Only stupid prey do that." He flopped to the ground, miffed. He felt something as he fell though.

He shifted off, and cleared away the leaves and moss, and discovered a smooth stone, with words on the surface. While he would not admit it later, he was curious.

"I'll be waiting for you, and nothing can move me from here until I hear you call me home." He sniffed. "Sentimental shit." He got up to go back, but realized, he'd forgotten the way. The forest seemed to close in on him. Panicked, he started yelling, "Claude! I'm lost! Help me!"

Claude heard his voice and went and found him. "Took you long enough." Alois huffed. But Claude didn't reply. "Claude?"

Claude kneeled down beside the stone that Alois had found, and was staring at it intentely.

"This is very old, Alois, did you find it?"

"I did." Alois looked proud for a moment, but then added crossly, "Take me back home, I'm hungry Claude."

So, they walked back home, with Alois skipping ahead and Claude wondering about the stone.

* * *

After they left, Sebastian left his hiding place and went over to the stone. He brushed it with his fingers to make sure it was alright, and when he found it was good, he sighed in relief and hovered beside it. A thought then crossed his mind. 

The newcomers might invade his peace, but they also might provide entertainment. 

So, curious, Sebastian went in the direction they had gone off. 

After all, what's a ghost to do?


	2. Legos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which an enigma is built around the misery-causing bricks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ha ha guys. Okay, so I changed the rating of this fic to Teen, but it might change as we go. So, enjoy the short chapter.

Alois needed to pick up more.

 

Claude prevented himself from swearing as he stepped on yet another Lego that were scattered across his room. Claude didn't even think that Alois played with those anymore, but the pain in his foot proved that wrong. So he bent down and started picking them up.

 

Sebastian had settled in the corner of the room and watched, amused. Apparentely, the small, colorful bricks could inflict a lot of damage upon a human foot. He tilted his head, feeling sorry for him. He plotted what to do.

* * *

 

 

A week after lecturing Alois about cleaning up after himself, Claude heard the sound of Legos being poured out of their bucket, and sighed, knowing that yet again, he was going to have a mess to pick up. But maybe he should just suffer this in silence, he wanted Alois to have fun and live life as a normal child, not having to walk on eggshells like the last place he lived...

 

Claude stopped thinking about that. That subject was better hidden. So, after Alois left the room, Claude went in. (Wearing shoes, because that seemed to be a reliable way to protect his feet from the damn bricks). 

 

But much to his surprise, when he walked in, he found the room spotless. And this was not limited to the floor. Alois's shorts had been put back in the drawer, and the bed was made carefully. 

 

Claude, though he did not show it, was shocked.

* * *

 

 

"Alois, did you clean up?" Claude asked him when he appeared for lunch.

 

"No, why are you asking? I never clean up. You should know this by now." Alois beamed at him and reached for the food.

 

"But your room is clean."

 

Alois didn't seem to care. But Claude was determined to get to the bottom of this.

 

That night, he dumped the bucket back out, and went to sleep.

* * *

 

 

Sebastian did not understand. If the human wanted the bricks to be put away, why did he dump them back out? It didn't make sense. So Sebastian did not clean up this time, annoyed.

 

Claude awoke the next morning to find the mess still there. He shrugged. The clean room was probably a fluke, then. Maybe Alois had cleaned and forgotten.

 

So, he forgot all about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Listening to Papermoon, English version LeeandLie ft. Dj jo.  
> Please comment what you think. I'm also looking for a Beta-reader, if anyone is interested.


	3. Sleep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More about the stone is uncovered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pfffffttt... sorry for the short chapter.

The human was asleep now. 

 

Sebastian traced a finger down his face, and smiled to himself, knowing the person would never notice it.

 

But doing it to Claude had made him nostalgic and crave the time where he once had a person who would caress his face when he slept. _I suppose,_ he thought, _everyone should experience this._

So, Sebastian stayed by his side until the morning light seeped through the blinds.

* * *

 

Sometimes, Claude wished he could go into hibernation, sleeping through all the hard times, and only having to wake up when the world was bright and fresh.

 

But as long as Alois was around, he never would never try to avoid his duties.

 

So, after prodding Alois out of bed and sending him off to the bus-stop, Claude went into the woods and found the stone again.

 

It was puzzling, to say the least. The stone was just here, in a small stretch of trees that was entirely unremarkable. There was no clue to whom the stone might be for, and why would the person have to wait? Claude reached down and outlined the letters. 

 

The rush of sound and color was not what he was expecting.

* * *

 

_I loved him with every fiber of my being._

_Every time he embraced me, or brushed his lips over my own, I knew it. My senses would light up, and I would get the urge to cling to him, bury my face in him, and never let him go._

_This was not possible though._

_We had to go our separate ways, and pretend not to know each other. Our circumstances did not favor two men in love._

_But at the end of the day, he would wrap his arms around me, and promise that one day, nothing could stop us from loving one another._

 

_And I believed him._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Listening to nothing.


	4. Burning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A snatch of a story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally updated. Yay!!! Hope you like this chapter.

_The smell of burning flesh was lingering in the air again, and it’s smell invaded the air._

 

_One could never avoid the stench around here._

 

_I covered my burning eyes, and walked away from the poor soul that was currently being reduced to nothing but ash. I’d known her, she was a clumsy girl who wore oversized glasses and blushed any time I walked near her._

 

_I had work to do._

 

_The citizens of this poor, starving town that had no name were unfair, to say the least, and they were eager for the chance to point fingers. The girl, whose name was Mey-Rin, had been out late, and it was a sad coincidence that a house had just been stolen from._

 

_Normally, in a another place, this would mean a person would be put under arrest, but the people around here called for execution for any crime, no matter how minor. The favorite method was burning._

 

_And so, people burned for their mistakes._

 

_But I knew that most of the accusations were not true, and the person whose flesh had burned for it was innocent._

 

_It was these kind of people I brought back to life._

 

_When the fire died down, I snuck out and retrieved the ashes, then went back to my house and started the long process._

 

_At the end of it all, I was exhausted to the point of dying, but that was a small price to pay. I would recover. But without this process, a soul would’ve been thrown into Oblivion for no reason._

 

_The girl’s body was completely recovered, and lay on the table, waiting to be woken up. I tapped her, and whispered, “Get up.”_

 

_She woke with a start, and confused, saw my face and blushed._

 

_“S-s-sebastian. Why am I here? I am supposed to burn in the morning.”_

 

_“You did burn Mey-Rin, but I brought you back.”_

 

_At first, she was shocked. They all are. But after it wore off, she started crying._

 

_“Thank you, thank you!”_

 

_I handed her a small loaf of bread, and told her to go, and make sure she never came back to this place._

 

_So she did, waving at me as she disappeared._

 

_The magic that I did could never be found out about, or else I would be the one that burned, under the accusation of witchcraft._

 

_But eventually, I let my guard down._

* * *

* * *

 

 

Claude had a feeling that he was trapped in a fairy tale gone wrong, and when he did snap out of the trance the stone seemed to put on him, he still could taste ashes in the air.

 

Something definitely was different about the stone.

 

He walked back to the house, not quite believing what he had just experienced.

 

But then, even more strangeness entered his life.

 

Alois was laying down on the living room floor, with his palms facing the ceiling, and chatting casually.

 

“So you could do magic? I thought that was only in baby stories.” He laughed. “Not that I heard a lot of them anyway. Dear, dear father was never one for tenderness.” Another giggle.

 

“Alois, who are you talking to?” Claude stared at him, with a jolt of cold running up his spine.

 

Alois immediately stopped talking. “Myself.”

 

Claude decided to press the issue later, he was too rattled to do much now.

 


	5. Embraces

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Alois makes an unlikely friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT'S SUMMER WHOO HOO!!!  
> I'll have more time to write now! Yay!!!

Alois had come home from school dejected. And quite pissed too.

 

He had gotten on the bus, and spent the entirety of the ride listening to the other kids poke fun at each other. At school, everybody just seemed wary of him. He didn’t know why, and that frustrated him. He decided that all the other kids were just dumb brutes that had no idea what was really going on.

 

 

At lunch, all of the students went off and joined their already established groups, and Alois was alone. A feeling of panic overwhelmed him. People started watching him when he grabbed the sides of his head and started hyperventilating. 

 

Finally, a teacher named Ms. Anafeloz noticed what was happening, and gently led him away to calm down. With a burning face, he walked out of the cafeteria led by a teacher, like a small child. He whipped around and smacked Ms. Anafeloz's hand away. 

 

“I’m fine you old cow!”

 

She stared at him in shock, but then regained her composure. Quietly, she asked, “Is there anything you need?”

 

I want Claude, Alois thought, but decided it would be a display of weakness to break down in the cafeteria crying that he wanted to go home.

 

“No.” He sniffed in disdain, and stalked off.

 

When he got off the bus, Claude wasn’t in the house. Where was he? 

 

His heart sped up, and he thought,  I’m not going to have another attack! But his heart rate did not decrease, nor did the sickening feeling of being cut off from everything. He sank down to the floor and curled up, making sounds of fear.

 

But then, he made a friend.

 

Nearby, Sebastian was spending the afternoon lounging around, but when the boy came home and started to break down, he rushed to comfort him when he sank to the ground. Sebastian did not know why he did this, but he did know that nobody should have to be alone like this.

 

Alois felt arms lifting him up and cradling him, and pull him close. At first, he was indignant and confused, because the force hugging him definitely wasn't Claude, but then, he just felt gratitude for just someone being there. His breathing slowed after a while, and he pulled away. His eyes widened.

 

The  thing that had hugged him did not look like a kind-hearted person that would be an instant comfort to someone in need. The thing just looked terrifying.

 

But then, it smiled, and Alois knew, that no matter how frightening it looked, it was still a creature that comforted him.

 

He laid down on the floor, and asked, “Who are you?”

 

It floated closer, it’s feet never touching the ground. Alois was about to recoil when it spoke. “I was Sebastian, and now am a shell of him.”

 

“Well, that didn't clear anything up much, but it’s better than silence!” Alois started laughing, and the thing, Sebastian, tilted its head, confused.

 

“So, you were a person?”

 

He nodded. “Long ago, yes I was.”

 

“Your face looks melted.”

 

“It is a side effect of my death.”

 

“How’d you die?”

 

“You are awful nosy.”

 

“Okay. Answer the question.”

 

So, the ghost and the little boy had a nice chat in the living room.

 

Alois was just in the middle of a question when Claude walked in. Sebastian retreated.

 

When Claude asked Alois who he was talking to, Alois said no one, because he was mad that Claude had interrupted. But Claude's mind seemed to be in another place entirely.

  
Alois didn't care. He’d find a way to talk to his  friend again. />


	6. Shadow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which our slightly clueless protagonist finally realized something.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boi, sorry for the short chapter.  
> Oh, and I would love a beta-reader if anyone's interested.

 

_Oh darling, adorn my bones with flowers,_

_And sing me a love song by the flames,_

_A wicked lullaby to guide me to sleep,_

_As cruel death stakes it's claim._

_We will not have forever,_

_So dance among the ashes with me,_

_Time will warp our faces and minds,_

_But still, I’ll be waiting underneath the tree._

 

Claude woke in the small hours of the night to hear that song lilting down the halls, the source coming from Alois’ room. It sounded like a nursery rhyme, but Claude could not recount hearing that song at all during his childhood, or adulthood for that matter.

 

He treaded down the corridor carefully, and tapped on Alois’ door. “You should be asleep.”

 

The singing stopped, and Claude was satisfied. He began walking away. But behind his retreating back, Alois whispered, “Keep singing.”

 

Frustrated, he opened the door and walked in the room. “You have school tomorrow, go to sleep.” He froze.

 

Alois was sitting up in bed, smiling, his shadow stretched across the room. But that wasn’t the thing that was out of the ordinary. Another long, lean shadow was next to Alois’, and Claude couldn’t see anything that might have caused the shadow.

 

“What is that?”

 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. And you tell me that I need fucking sleep! What about yourself?” He laughed.

 

“Watch your language. And how can you not see it? It’s right…” but the extra shadow was gone.

 

Alois stopped giggling and turned towards Claude. “See what? Claude, nothing is here, you paranoid bastard. Go back to sleep.” And with that, Alois slumped down underneath his covers again.

 

The conversation was over for now.

 

Sebastian really was sorry that he caused the other person distress. But he didn’t feel like showing himself to him, not yet anyway.

 

_You would’ve thought a dead person wouldn’t be shy._ He smirked.

 

_Apparently, I am._

* * *

 

 

When he felt satisfied that Claude was asleep, he started a load of laundry as a way of apology.

 

Claude woke up the next day even more tired than the night before, for his dreams were riddled with flames, bones, and a sorrowful, beautiful voice that sang of death and love.

 

He needed coffee.

 

After ushering Alois onto the bus, he sat down and sipped a hot cup of bitter, black coffee, savoring its sharp taste. Just as he downed the last drop, a beep went off.

 

A load of laundry had just been completed.

 

Claude, however grateful that the entity could do laundry, was still unaware of the thing’s real intentions.

  
He couldn’t ignore it any longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please comment what you think!


	7. Tennis Shoe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I was sad it didn't evolve into a full out flame war.  
> (haha, get it? FLAME).

Alois knew that Claude was growing curious. This was a problem. Sebastian was trapped, just like him a while ago, and when he was in his darkest moments, the last thing he needed was a meddling, nosy do-gooder. 

While Claude may not appear outwardly a do-gooder, he most certainly would be nosy. So, he decided to talk to Sebastian about it.

"Hide in the closet or somethin'. You can't be seen!"

"Your closet is stuffy, and it is cramped. I do not think that I will grace it with my presence anytime soon."

"You're fucking dead! Since when do you care about how cramped a space is?"

"While I may not suffocate from being in cramped quarters, it still is a most unpleasant situation. Besides, why do you want me to hide anyway?"

Alois, instead of answering, pouted.

"Do not try to evade the subject. I have all the time to listen."

"Because, you're the only person who cares about me besides Claude, and if Claude sees you, he'll probably boot your ass out and I'll just have him again!" Alois yelled.

Sebastian made himself more visible, and patted Alois's back. Alois flinched.

"Did I say you could touch me?"

Sebastian retreated. "I am sorry."

Alois picked up one of his shoes laying nearby, and threw it at the ghost. 

Claude walked in just in time to witness a size 5 Nike sneaker get flung at a specter.

"Alois, can you explain to me what's happening?"

Alois froze, then turned slowly towards Claude.

Sebastian blended in, but Claude waved his hand in his direction. "Do come out and join the party."

The reluctant ghost appeared once more. 

"Now, Alois, would you explain to me why you catapulted one of your shoes, and whoever you are, explain why you are here."

"You're not my parent! I don't have to listen to you!"

"I'm your guardian, therefore you listen to me."

"I listened. And I don't have to explain myself."

Claude turned towards Sebastian. "Did you do anything to him?"

Sebastian shook his head.

"What are you?"

A long pause before he answered. "I am a spirit."

"Why are you in my house, spirit?"

Sebastian bristled. "First of all, you self-important bastard, I was here first. I'm old enough to be your great-great-great-grandfather, and second of all, I have a name, which unless you stop talking down to me like I am a 2-year old child, you will never have the pleasure of knowing. So do your own fucking laundry next time, I'm pushing a few centuries right now, and even I know how to work the fucking washing machine, and if you're going to live here and invade my space with your noxious self, you better get used to me." (My gosh, I think a bit of Alois savagery has rubbed off of our dead person ^~^).  
Before the whole thing ensued into a supernatural roast war, Sebastian disappeared, the only evidence he was ever there was a sense of anger and a shoe scuff mark on the wall.


	8. Chill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Slow burrrrnnnnn.  
> (Cheesus Christ, just made another fire pun accidentally XD).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I updated finally.  
> Wut, I didn't abandon you guys.  
> I've given up on a beta reader. :/

Sulking was a horrible habit, yet Alois did it a lot.

 

Just as predicted, Claude had scared Sebastian away. Well, pissed him off more like, but it didn't matter.

 

He had made his friend disappear.

 

"That stupid bastard, poking his nose where it doesn't belong, he should know not to come in my room without asking!" In his fit, Alois threw the other shoe, where it joined its twin on the floor.

 

He sank onto the floor and yelled into his hands, blaming Claude, blaming Sebastian, but deep down himself, for being the kind of person that nobody loved. That night, he screamed his pain and frustration at the world, not caring who heard. After his throat couldn't take much more, he fell asleep, curled up by the side of his bed.

* * *

 

 

In the morning, Alois trudged past Claude in the kitchen without a word, grabbed his lunch, then walked to the bus stop.

 

Claude found this ridiculous, since the temperature had dropped low enough to practically freeze a person's nose off, but if Alois was going to be stubborn, let him be stubborn.

 

He went to sit down in the living room, but something hit his retreating back. Silently, he bent down and picked the projectile.

 

It was a lego brick.

 

"Stop playing games and come out already." After the silence had stretched on for a few minutes, Claude continued his way to the living room.

 

"And I thought you cared about him." An accusing voice rang out at him. 

 

"I'm glad that you are concerned about Alois, but it is best to just let him go and learn that sulking will only harm him."

 

"I can not believe that you would still let him out into the freezing cold."

 

A vague outline of a man appeared, with his arms crossed.

 

"If you would cease throwing toys at me, then I will go and make sure he is all right."

 

The specter materialized a tiny bit more, the tension in its shoulders relaxed a tiny bit. "You have a deal, then."

 

Claude went back to the foyer, and bundled up in a heavy jacket. Opening the door, he stepped out into the frigid air. As he went out, he felt another whoosh of air that felt like an open flame.

 

Sebastian had tagged along.

 

The silence was so cold, it rivaled the chill outside, until, a small whisper reached Claude's ears. "Thank you for listening to me and going out."

 

"I take care of him. It's my responsiblity."

 

"You did not have to listen to me though."

 

Claude glanced to the side at his companion, catching a glimpse of fire-ruined skin here, a bit of smoking hair there, and found that it was like looking at a constant shifting jigsaw puzzle of ruin. It was fascinating, to see the desolation of what might have once been human.

 

Judging by the sudden lack of heat, Sebastian had noticed his staring.

 

"I am sorry." Claude's voice split the air.

 

"Do not apologize for death. It always happens sooner or later, and it is no use trying to give condolences."

 

His voice was tinged with subtle venom, and hiding behind, a small sigh.

 

 

"You were burnt at stake, weren't you? Did they discover that you brought the convicted back?"

 

The atmosphere filled with static. "I thought you would have learned last night that I do not think very highly of you at the moment. Therefore, what gives you any right to ask about my death? You know nothing." When those last angry sentences burst into the world, the ghosts sadness broke through, filled with spite, hate, and a longing.

 

The conversation discontinued. So, Claude found Alois chattering at the bus stop and brought him home without much further ado, letting him skip school for the day.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment and hit that kudos button.


	9. Drowning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which we learn a little about our living protagonists past, and Alois has a snow day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shoutout to Erica Miller for being a very supportive, fellow Killing Stalking fan.  
> In fact, thanks to everyone who has ever read, kudosed, or commented on this fic. It means a lot to me.

The cold didn’t let up. In fact, the next day, Alois wouldn’t have had to give his excuse for being absent, for when he woke up, the trees in the back had snow dumped on them from the glowering sky above.

 

His feet touched the cold floor, and he had no desire to get up at first. The creaking wooden floor, while antique looking, held no warmth, and he likened it to stepping on a block of ice. He was just about to roll himself back into a cocoon and sleep in contented silence, but then he had a good look at the whiteness spread out before him.

 

He lay silently, listening for the sound of deep, slow breathing that would indicate Claude was asleep. Wouldn’t want to disturb him, he was acting strange. Ever since Claude had brought him back home from the bus-stop, he was quieter than usual. Alois couldn’t even make a guess at what he was thinking.

 

He slid down the banister, landed on the floor with a muffled thump, and threw on the worn coat that Claude had got him from the thrift store. Shuffling his feet, he cracked open the door to reveal the frozen landscape.

 

One more moment of silence, then he exploded in a frenzy of disturbed snow and gleeful shouts. Nevermind that the coat was old and smelled like the elderly, nevermind that Alois would never have a normal life, all that mattered was the frigid beauty of the world gone to ice.

 

Running out through the crunchy snow, Alois tossed his head back and laughed.

* * *

 

 

_He could never quite forget the ominous silent._

 

_Claude drove downtown slowly, watching the neon lights go by in dizzying blurs. He wasn’t looking forward to this, he never did, but he beared with it to check on Alois. Yes, everything he did now was for Alois._

 

_He didn’t regret it one bit. He loved his little, fussy brother since the day his mother handed the squalling baby to the somber-eyed, silent child that would one day grow into Claude._

 

_His mother walked out one night in the rain, and didn’t return, but Alois would always have Claude._

 

_He felt guilty when he had to leave Alois to go to college, but he did it anyway. “Don’t be an idiot, old man.” The blonde had remarked cheerfully. “You have to go to school to pound some smarts into that thick skull of yours.”_

 

_In Alois speak, it was a way of telling Claude to live his own life._

 

_Claude had often thought about this. Was he so concerned for his brother, that he forgot that he had a life of his own? Was his identity just Alois’s big brother, not Claude Faustus?_

 

_His line of thought was disturbed when his destination came into view._

 

_His father lived in a condominium that seemed to squat by the side of the road, with a broken TV out in front that always seemed to be there._

 

_He got out of the car, and made his way to the peeling steps._

 

_When he got to his father’s place, he could already smell the stench of alcohol, and hear the blaring of canned laughter from the television._

 

_Again, he felt a wave of guilt for leaving Alois with this man._

 

_The man in question was slumped in his chair, watching the imaginary people on screen encounter one trouble after the next. “Hello, father.”_

 

_The mass in the armchair stirred, then propped himself up to get a better look at the person who was addressing him._

 

_“Well, if it isn’t Mister College Boy. Wot brings you round this joint?”_

 

_“I’ve come to see Alois.”_

 

_“Ah, that little shit. E’s in the closet.”_

 

_Claude, usually, was very good at hiding his emotions. He learned that if you revealed too much, that exposed your vulnerabilities, and that was a fatal mistake._

 

_And yet, he felt his fist curling and his teeth gritting. “Excuse me?”_

 

_“Ya heard me, E’s in the closet. I got tired of lookin’ at ‘im.”_

 

_He suddenly became aware of the horrible, panicked breathing that filled the room, the shallow gasps sounding like an animal, half-insane from fear. The sound was awful, Claude couldn’t just stand back, he had to do something, he had to save Alois, he had to fix the problem… but Claude couldn’t move from the spot._

 

_The breathing had stopped._

 

_The man wheezed out a chuckle, then rolled over. “Well, that takes care of ‘im.”_

 

_Claude longed to see him suffer, to coldly watch him writhe in pain, while burning with anger on the inside. He wanted to kill that old man, never mind that he was his father. If his father was going to be this monstrous, well, he didn’t need one. But there was that strange affliction of not being able to move one, tiny bit._

 

_The room swam in frenzied circles, the spirals seeming to taunt Claude._

 

_“You can’t ever do anything, you were doomed to be useless. Alois is better dead, at least you can’t mess things up anymore for him.”_

 

_Was he dying? It certainly felt like it. He was a man sinking into his own perceived faults, trapped in his own idea that he simply wasn’t strong enough to heal, to take away the pain, to help his loved ones._

 

_Maybe he would have gave up right then and there, if not for intervention._

 

_Two hands reached out and grabbed his shoulders, gripping them as a lifeguard might clutch a drowning person. A face was there too, one filled with sadness and blazing ferocity. And Claude watched that face’s mouth move, with no sound coming out, but yet he understood what it said._

 

“Get a hold of yourself, you bastard!”

 

_With a sharp shake, Claude’s world exploded into white._

 

_And the only thing he could see besides that pale, serene color, were beautiful, blazing, red eyes._

* * *

 

 

Why, oh why, in the name of all the universe, did this human need so much help?

 

Sebastian was planning to hold out on his hissy for at least 12 more hours. Then, he had thought, then it would really sink into the human’s mind that his past was untouchable territory. It was stupid of him to try to dredge up memories like that.

 

But watching that human, Sebastian wondered if he himself was trying to forget his own. Maybe he was ensnared in the sticky tendrils of bad memories, and had sank so deep, he was drowning. He was living, yet he was just as trapped by his experiences as Sebastian.

 

“Well Faustus, it seems that you and I are two of a kind.” He said with a wry smile.

 

He was just about to fade out, when Claude started writhing.

 

Curious, and a tad bit concerned, he peered into his mind. Okay, it was wrong of him and he knew it. But if Claude knew a little about him, he should know some things about him, right?

 

The ghost’s mouth set itself in a grim line.

 

Silently, he ventured into Claude’s subconscious to save him from his own memories.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tune back in next time!


	10. Apologies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh Jesus, I'm trying to write good, I apologize.

In retrospect, had probably looked like an idiot, but it was a snow day, there was no school, and excitement makes people do strange things. 

 

After making sure that Claude wasn’t going to come barrelling after him, he skipped down the street with a renewed vigor, sometimes stumbling in his ecstasy, but something as small as that couldn’t hinder an excited Alois Trancy.

 

He kicked away snow drifts, delighting in how they blew up in large gusts of white, and he laughed when the biting wind blew the snow directly back into his face. Yes, today was going to be a lovely, frigid, day.

 

So busy he was with his task of demolishing the piles, he didn’t notice the pair of legs.

 

After stumbling, Alois didn’t believe any of that bullshit that when you’re in the process of falling, it seems to happen in slow motion. In fact, it seemed just about as fast, though quite more jarring, than actual life.

 

The moment afterward though, felt as slow as a dream.

 

“Shit!” Alois stood up to glare at the offensive pair of limbs that had appeared in his way. He was fully prepared to give this person a tongue lashing to within an inch of their life, but the owner of the legs shot up with such ferocity, that Alois fell down again.

 

The boy was gorgeous, to say the least. His one visible eye reminded Alois of the deep, unfathomable ocean, and his face was set with hard, stony, pride. He was like an angel, just freshly fallen out of the sky. And he was staring with complete distaste at Alois.

 

He was speechless. He had thought he had horrible luck before, but now, he had a day to spend as he pleased, and he and he had stumbled across this fairy-tale beautiful youth.

 

_ Pretty boys should really make a habit of dropping out of the sky.  _

 

He was getting ready to say something, but with a huff, the boy turned on his heel and walked away, little clouds of snow puffing up lazily at his heels.

 

To be frank, Alois was rude. He knew this, and took pleasure in knowing it. It was his armor. But for this beautiful boy to be rude to  _ him _ was like a slap to his face, a blow to his pride.

 

So, later he wondered why he scampered after him, and why deep down, he promised himself that he would pursue this boy from the snow.

 

 

* * *

It wasn’t waking up, but it still felt like it.

 

The serene white that he had seen was not just a sight, he was in it. In fact. The room seemed completely made out of blank, constant, matter, except for one thing.

 

Sebastian had both feet on the “ground”, which, now that Claude thought about it, he had never seen the spectre conforming to the laws of gravity. He looked slightly miffed too, and Claude braced himself for a berating.

 

The only comment Sebastian gave him though, was a sardonic smile, and one fragment of a sentence. “Bad nightmare?”

 

“Now look who’s being nosy.”

 

“Well, I apologize.” He tossed the reply at him with a pointed look, as if asking him for something.

 

Then Claude realized what he was asking for. “Alright, I apologize then for being nosy first.” 

 

His apology was accepted, but there was no verbal recognition of that. Sebastian wanted to keep his dignity.

 

Claude wondered why he was so afraid of talking about his past. It really must have been a horrible one, but still, Claude could handle it, right? He had experienced abuse and neglect before, and Alois had gotten even worse. 

 

Sebastian watched the human, silently examining his face. It was true, he had been a bit bitchy lately, he should do something to make up for that.

 

But, what to do?

 

He cleared his throat, and the sound made Claude look at him.

 

Good, he had gained the human’s attention. Now, what? He had grown unaccustomed to the human world in all the centuries of his afterlife, and what if he said something that was completely uncalled for, and inappropriate?

 

By the forces that be, that would be mortifying.

 

_ It appears, Sebastian,  _ he thought with a derisive smile,  _ you are out of your element. _

 

_ Oh, right, the human. _

 

He looked up, and spoke to him. If you asked him later, he would’ve claimed that he had this speech prepared all along, but the reality of it was was that the statements he had made were completely spontaneous.

  
  


“I assure you, invading people’s subconscious is not what I usually do at night, but you looked like you needed help, so I hope you don’t mind me ejecting you from your dream.”

 

Claude was just listening, giving no indicators onto what he was thinking at that moment.  _ Shit, I hope I didn’t say anything embarrassing. _

 

Weighing his options, and wishing he had a backspace button, he continued.

 

“So, that’s all I wanted to say. I will leave you in peace now.” 

 

The surroundings started to fade to black, and Sebastian was just about to flee to wherever he spent his days, when finally, a voice spoke.

 

“Wait.”

 

He looked back, glancing at Claude.

 

“Thank you.”

 

With a smile, the room finally sank into nothing. “You’re welcome.”

 

 

* * *

“Wait up you bastard!” Alois huffed as he played a game of tag with the boy. (The game was one-sided, but he wasn’t just going to give up. He was many things, but he sure wasn’t a quitter).

 

The boy trudged ahead, ever constant. He gave no indication that he even knew Alois was there, despite his squawking.

 

It was absolutely maddening.

 

He grit his teeth. He would talk to him, or freeze to death. That was all there was to it.

 

As soon as this conclusion settled in his head, he felt the cold even more. The wind was completely indifferent to Alois’ quest, and whipped past him in furious streaks.

 

If only the boy got cold, he might stop walking…

 

A slow smile spread across his face. Bending down slowly, he scooped his hands through the numbing snow.

 

“Oy! Over here!”

 

He didn’t take notice. Oh well, he had his chance.

 

Up ahead, Ciel blanched when a mass of packed, glacial snow hit the back of his head. 

 

The melt water trickled down in biting streams, and finally, he twisted around, armed with his withering look, and although he was very short of stature, he was still terrifying.

 

But Alois was expecting this. He simply brushed off the glare, and waved at him, cheerfully smiling with his face flushed with the wind.

 

“Eat shit you douchebag!”   
  


And with a laugh, he took off, leaving behind a very confused, angry boy, and a long, winding trail of footprints.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please comment what you think and hit that kudos button.


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